Back pain and spinal problems are increasingly burdening the healthcare system within the U.S. as well as many other countries throughout the world. The latest numbers come in close to $86 billion - the annual cost of treating spinal problems in the United States alone. This number equates to a 65 percent increase in the cost of treating back and spine related disorders in just the past decade. Worse yet, new research indicates people's back and spine related problems are no better off. So what’s the deal? Experts state increased spending on prescription drugs, more advanced diagnostic testing and increases in the number and cost of spinal surgeries are partly to blame. While this is unfortunate, it's clear that the current overall methodology of treatment is not successful since significantly increasing costs shouldn't result in a poorer outcome for back and spinal disorder sufferers. Chiropractic care is safe, non-invasive and highly effective in the management of many spinal disorders including some of the most common causes of back pain. Chiropractic care has also been shown to be a very cost-effective treatment for certain back and spinal problems. In fact, chiropractic doctors receive so much back and spine related training that most chiropractic students purchase models of the human spine to study extensively during their chiropractic training.

The title above is from a release by the American Chiropractic Association on August 2, 2013, that appeared in several news outlets including the American News. The release, and several associated news articles discuss how chiropractic helps people who suffer from headaches.
The ACA release begins by noting, "If you have a headache, you're not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea."
Another article about chiropractic and headaches in the Merritt Herald from Canada on July 24, 2013, starts by stating, "Did you know that one of the most common forms of headache is actually caused by problems in the neck?"
The ACA release reported on research of how chiropractic helps headaches by noting, "A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, N.C., found that spinal manipulation (adjustments) resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication."
Using chiropractic care for headaches is not a common medical procedure. This fact was illustrated in the Merritt Herald article, "Unfortunately, the medical understanding of headaches often does not take into account the chiropractic model, which remains foreign to many within the medical profession."
The Merritt Herald article also reported that this information is not new, noting that, "In 1995, a team of MDs at Syracuse University established neck problems as the cause of many headaches with scientific, anatomical proof." The researchers were headed up by Dr. Rothbart, a medical doctor.
In an interview after the research, Dr. Rothbart stated, "Some brilliant people have put their hearts, souls and minds to this (headache) problem and haven't come up with anything. All we've been able to do is treat people with an array of medicines, one after the other, and hope the side effects won't be too bad. We couldn't believe it at first. We've been able to put together a scientific explanation for how neck structure causes headaches — not all headaches, but a significant number of them. It's true that chiropractors have been saying this for years. Unfortunately, many (medical) doctors tend to have a jaundiced view of chiropractors, but they were right about headaches."

A recent Norway study indicates that in both men and women obesity is strongly associated with chronic low back pain. The increased weight of being obese wreaks havoc on the spinal tissues that are placed under constant and increased stress due to the additional weight. Fortunately, most obesity is treatable and with loss of the additional weight, many experience significant improvements in their back pain complaints, not to mention the improvement or reversal of many other related health conditions. Fortunately, chiropractic care can still help before the additional weight comes off, or, if the additional weight cannot be lost. Chiropractors not only provide relief for many experiencing back pain due to obesity, but some additionally offer treatment programs directed at weight loss and strategies to improve one’s overall health. If you’ve got extra pounds to lose and are suffering from back problems, you deserve an opportunity to try chiropractic care!

It may not come as a surprise that most adults don't eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day. Across the nation, less than 15 percent are meeting the recommendations set by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC's new way of studying adults' intake of fruits and vegetables includes examining each state individually instead of getting the national average. Southern states are overwhelming falling short of their recommended daily values. In Tennessee, only seven percent of adults are eating the right amount of fruits, while in Mississippi only 5.5 percent are eating enough vegetables. California comes out on top with 17.7 percent of adults getting enough fruits and 13 percent eating enough vegetables. So how much should adults be really consuming? The Dietary Guidelines of America suggest inactive adults should consume 1.5 to 2 cups of fruits and two to three cups of vegetables each day. The more active a person is, the more they should be increasing these amounts.

With over 235 million people suffering from asthma across the globe, finding new treatment options is a priority in the global healthcare system. A recent, small study has determined that for people who suffer with moderate to severe asthma, aerobic exercise can make it easier for asthma sufferers to manage their asthma. Of the 43 patients who took part in this study, all of them were required to take yoga-breathing classes twice a week, and half were required to walk on a treadmill for 35 minutes twice a week. The study found that the participants that added walking into their routine, in addition to their regular medications they take to treat their asthma, saw a decrease in heightened sensitivity in the airway, as well as inflammation. Asthma sufferers should consult with their doctor prior to implementing an aerobic exercise regimen as that itself could actually lead to an asthma attack. While asthma attacks were not mentioned in the study, Dr. Simon Bacon, who was not a part of the study, says people with asthma may need to use their inhaler before or during their exercise.

A small study posted in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that participants struggled to estimate how many calories they burned in a workout and how much they could eat to replenish those calories burned. 50 adults and 49 children were asked to choose the size of chocolate and how much of a sports drink they believed their one-hour workout would allow them to consume. The majority of participants selected a piece of chocolate and sports drink that was half the size of what their workout would allow them to eat or drink. The study's findings show that not only do people not understand how many calories their workout will burn, they also don't understand the number of calories in food or beverages simply by looking at the product. Senior author Craig Williams pointed out that in many cases, participants underestimated the number of calories in the chocolate and sports drink because they believed it was the correct answer, but they also would eat more than what they had indicated in the study.